The genus Munronia comprises
small woody shrubs from South and East Asia. There are currently four
recognised species, Munronia pinnata,
which is found from India and Sri Lanka in the west to Indonesia in the east
and as far north as China (although this widespread and somewhat variable
species has been described under a number of different names, now considered
invalid), Munroni aunifoliolata, which
is found in China and Vietnam (which has also been described under several
other names now considered invalid), and Munronia humilis and Munronia breviflora from Indoneasia.
In a paper published in the journal Blumea on 11 December 2014, Nguyen The Cuong
and Doung Thi Hoan of the Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources of the Vietnam Academy of Sciences and Technology and D Mabberley of the NaturalisBiodiversity Center in Leiden, Wadham College at the University of Oxford and
the Royal Botanic Gardens & Domain Trust in Sydney, describe a new species
of Munronia from Quang Ninh Province in
Vietnam.
The new species is named Munronia petiolata,
which is not explained but presumably refers to the species’ extremely long
petioles (leaf stems). Munronia petiolatais
a small shrub reaching 30-60 cm in height, with leaves arranged in spirals,
clustering towards the ends of the stems. Flowers are white and produced from
June onwards, fruit are produced in September. The plant was found growing in
crevices in limestone on Bo Hon, Hang Luon and Cat Lanislands in Ha Long Bay in
Quang Ninh Province. The known population is very small, and confined to a
limited area, however Cuonget al. refrain
from assigning it a conservation status pending further investigations.
Munronia petiolata. Branch bearing inflorescences and infructescences. Cuonget al. (2014).
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